"Design Principles for Photography" by Jeremy Webb

Quick Book Review: “Design Principles for Photography” by Jeremy Webb

In my quest to improve my photography skills, I’ve been reading books on the topic.  I still feel like a beginner, so most of the books I’m reading are inspirational and instructional manuals designed to help you in composing compelling photographs.  This book is really terrific.  I found myself understanding and relating to all of his ideas and opinions.  The…

Read more

Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina

Quick Book Review: “Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina” by Chris Frantz

I breezed through this very enjoyable, very readable book.  Chris Frantz takes you back to the art school origins of Talking Heads, the heady, exciting early days of New York punk (lots of cool stories about CBGBs), the exhilarating early European tours where they toured with bands like the Ramones and XTC.  He describes the creative process that gave rise…

Read more

"Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color, and Composition in Photography" by Bryan Peterson

Quick Book Review: “Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color, and Composition in Photography” by Bryan Peterson

This book first came out in 1988. A revised second edition was published in 2003, and this third edition was updated in 2015.  Peterson’s photography books are very popular, and after reading this one, I understand why.  He has a very down-to-earth style, and he supports his lessons and recommendations with many excellent photographic examples. I still consider myself a…

Read more

"Rockonomics: A Backstage Tour About What the Music Industry can Teach us About Economics and Life" by Alan B. Krueger

Quick Book Review: “Rockonomics: A Backstage Tour About What the Music Industry can Teach us About Economics and Life” by Alan B. Krueger

I’m a huge music fan, but I’ve never thought much about the music industry and how it actually works: who makes the money, how they make it, and how much they actually make.  This book was loaded with interesting facts about the music business and how it has radically changed over the past few years.  Rock musicians used to make…

Read more

Notes from the Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed

Quick Book Review: “Notes from the Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed” by Howard Sounes

Two years ago, I read “Waiting for The Man”, Jerry Reed’s biography of Lou Reed.  The book covered Lou’s life pretty well, with the focus mainly on his albums.  Last year, I read Anthony DeCurtis’s biography, “Lou Reed: A Life”, which some people think is the definitive biography.  It was an excellent balance of music analysis as well as interesting…

Read more

Pin It on Pinterest